Hanco Germishuys
Hanco Jacobus Germishuys (born August 24, 1996)[1] is an American rugby union player who plays as a flanker for Rugby United New York of Major League Rugby and for the United States internationally. Germishuys has also represented the United States at the international level with multiple age-grade sides and with the USA Selects. Germishuys also previously played professionally for the Denver Stampede of PRO Rugby.
Full name | Hanco Jacobus Germishuys | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | August 24, 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Kimberley, Northern Cape, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 224 lb (16.0 st; 224 lb; 102 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | Westside High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Early life
Hanco Germishuys was born on August 24, 1996 in South Africa.[2] There, he began playing rugby at a young age and attended school in Newton.[3] Germishuys relocated to the United States with his father in 2004 and attended Westside High School in Omaha, Nebraska.[2] Germishuys played club rugby for West Omaha and was selected to a Nebraska All-Star team.[2] In late 2014, Germishuys joined the Gloucester Academy, scoring a try in his second appearance for the U18 squad.[4] In June 2015, Germishuys also spent four weeks with the Sharks Academy.[3] Germishuys joined the Glendale Raptors (since renamed the Glendale Merlins) midway through the 2015 season,[5] winning that season's Pacific Rugby Premiership championship.[6]
Club career
Denver Stampede
Ahead of PRO Rugby's inaugural season in 2016, it was announced that Germishuys would join the Denver Stampede.[7] Germishuys made his debut with the Stampede on May 15, 2016, starting at flanker and scoring two tries, in Denver's 35–13 victory over Sacramento.[8] Germishuys scored six total tries for the Stampede across nine total appearances for the club.[9]
Austin Huns
Germishuys joined the Austin Huns in January 2017.[10] Germishuys was named Most Valuable Player (equivalent to man of the match) in the Huns' 23–20 Division 1 national championship victory over the New York Athletic Club in June 2017.[11]
Austin Elite
Prior to the inaugural Major League Rugby season in 2018, it was announced that Germishuys would be joining the Austin Elite in the newly-formed league.[12] Germishuys made his debut for the Elite in the team's first regular season match on April 21, 2018, starting at flanker and scoring a try, in a 41–26 defeat to Glendale.[13][14] Over just five appearances for the Elite during the season,[15] Germishuys scored six total tries, putting him in a tie for tenth place among league leaders in individual scoring[16] and a tie for second place among league leaders in individual tries scored.[17] At season's end, Germishuys was named to the All-MLR First Team at flanker.[17]
International career
USA High School All-Americans
Germishuys was first named to the United States men's national under-19 team (High School All-Americans) at the age of 14[3] and was with the team for four years.[2]
USA Junior All-Americans
In March 2014, it was announced that Germishuys had been selected to the roster of the United States men's national under-20 team (Junior All-Americans) for the 2014 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy.[18] At the time, Germishuys and teammate Ben Cima were so young that they required waivers in order to be allowed to play in the tournament.[19] Germishuys also represented the Junior All-Americans in qualifying matches for the 2015 World Rugby Under 20 Trophy against Canada.[20] Germishuys played in both matches of the two-legged tie,[21][22] with the Junior All-Americans losing on an aggregate score of 65–29.[22] Germishuys played for the Junior All-Americans for a third consecutive year in 2016, leading the team as captain at the 2016 World Rugby Under 20 Trophy.[23] Germishuys led the team with eight total tries, including at least one in each of the Junior All-American's four matches,[24] and was named Player of the Tournament.[25]
USA Selects
Germishuys was first named to the USA Selects roster in advance of the 2016 Americas Pacific Challenge.[26] He has subsequently been named to the Selects' roster for the Americas Pacific Challenge in 2017[27] and 2018.[28]
USA Eagles
Germishuys made his debut for the United States men's national team on February 27, 2016, coming on as a substitute, in the Eagles' 24–23 defeat to Brazil in the 2016 Americas Rugby Championship.[29] On February 10, 2018, against Canada in a 29–10 victory in the 2018 Americas Rugby Championship, Germishuys made his first start at flanker and scored his first try for the Eagles.[30] Since his debut in 2016, he has become a regular in the Eagles starting lineup and is known for his strength with the ball in hand and his strong tackling.
References
- "Hanco Germishuys". espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
- "Hanco Germishuys". USA Rugby. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
- "Brian Nault and Hanco Germishuys Selected as the 2015 Graham Downes Rugby Scholarship Recipients". San Diego, California: United States Rugby Foundation. June 17, 2015. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
- Goff, Alex (December 30, 2014). "Germishuys Makes Instant Impact At Gloucester". Goff Rugby Report. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
- Goff, Alex (May 20, 2015). "Nault, Germishuys to Durban on Scholarship". Goff Rugby Report. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- "Raptors are 2015 PRP Champs". Colorado Community Media. Glendale, Colorado. May 18, 2015. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
- "Ngwenya in PRO Rugby roster reveal". Americas Rugby News. March 16, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
- "Denver leave Sacramento with win". Americas Rugby News. May 15, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
- "PRO Rugby 2016 – By the Numbers". Americas Rugby News. August 18, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
- "Austin Huns Sign 3 High Caliber Rugby Players including a USA Eagle". Austin Huns. January 20, 2017. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
- Lyttle, Kevin (June 4, 2017). "Austin Huns grab club's 1st U.S. rugby championship". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
- Lyttle, Kevin (May 4, 2018). "Major League Rugby, Elite bring their show to Round Rock". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- Lyttle, Kevin (April 22, 2018). "Austin Elite drop rough, raw Major League Rugby opener". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- "Glendale wins battle over Austin". Americas Rugby News. April 22, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- "2018 Major League Rugby Dream Team". Americas Rugby News. July 12, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- "2018 Major League Rugby". Americas Rugby News. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- "Major League Rugby Announces First and Second All-MLR Teams". Major League Rugby. July 3, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- Wise, Chad (March 13, 2014). "AIG MJAA squad announced for IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy 2014". USA Rugby. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
- Goff, Alex (February 17, 2016). "U20 Accomplishment Sets Up New Challenge". Goff Rugby Report. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
- Wise, Chad (March 23, 2015). "Match-day squad selected for AIG MJAAs' first World Rugby U20 Trophy qualifier". USA Rugby. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
- "All-Americans Fall To Canada In Leg One". This is American Rugby. March 23, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
- "All-Americans Fall To Canada, Miss Out On JWRT". This is American Rugby. March 27, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
- "U20s Named to Face Namibia". Goff Rugby Report. April 18, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
- Goff, Alex (May 2, 2016). "USA U20s Win 5th in OT". Goff Rugby Report. Harare, Zimbabwe. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
- "Germishuys named top U20 Trophy Player". Americas Rugby News. May 18, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
- "USA Selects named for Pacific Challenge". Americas Rugby News. October 1, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
- "USA Selects named for Americas Pacific Challenge". Americas Rugby News. September 20, 2017. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
- "USA Selects named for Americas Pacific Challenge". Americas Rugby News. September 13, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
- "Americas Rugby Championship - Sao Paulo, 27 February 2016, 20:00 local, 23:00 GMT". espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
- "Americas Rugby Championship - Sacramento, 10 February 2018, 15:00 local, 23:00 GMT". espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved October 4, 2018.